Butterfly – Tailed Jay (Graphium agamemnon)

Restless, fast and almost never still, the Tailed Jay (Graphium agamemnon) is one of the few butterflies you are more likely to identify in flight than at rest. Found from India and Sri Lanka through Southeast Asia to northern Australia, it patrols gardens and forest edges with a rapid, darting style that makes most other swallowtails look sedate.

The Tailed Jay is among the most widespread members of its genus, thriving in rainforests, gardens, and open countryside across its range. First described by Linnaeus in 1758, it is active year-round and produces multiple broods thanks to a remarkably fast life cycle — just over a month from egg to adult. Its constant motion is distinctive; adults rarely sit still, often fluttering their wings even while feeding on nectar from lantana and other flowering plants.

The species’ bright green markings help it blend into foliage when resting, and subtle regional variations produce slight differences in tail length and colour intensity between males and females. The caterpillars are green and well camouflaged against their host plants, while adults are powerful fliers that rely on their agility for survival. Unlike many related species, Tailed Jays are seldom seen gathering at damp patches, though they still extract minerals from moist surfaces in a behaviour known as “puddling”.

Bugs is a collection of natural history illustration prints drawn from the insect world - beetles, flies, bugs, butterflies, and moths selected for the strangeness, beauty, and variety of their forms.

Each illustration is adapted from Simon Tyler's book Bugs, published by Pavilion in 2017 and subsequently published in French and Chinese. The series draws on the tradition of scientific natural history illustration - precise, considered, and attentive to the details that make each species distinctive.

Insects account for the majority of all known animal species on Earth. This collection is a small survey of what that diversity looks like.

All prints are produced to order on 250gsm archival matte paper using pigment-based inks, chosen for colour accuracy and long-term stability.

Each print is rolled in acid-free tissue and shipped in a rigid cardboard tube, sealed for moisture protection, ready for framing on arrival.

Large · 70 × 50 cm · 28 × 20 in

XLarge · 100 × 70 cm · 40 × 28 in

UK: Free · 3-5 working days

Europe: €8.50 · 3-7 working days · No customs charges

USA & Canada: $8.95 / $12.00 CAD · 5-10 working days

Australia: $14.00 AUD · 5-10 working days

Rest of World: £14.95 · 7-14 working days

All prints are produced to order and dispatched within 1-3 working days. Orders placed before 5pm GMT ship the same day. You'll receive tracking information by email once dispatched.

Orders outside Europe may be subject to local customs charges on delivery - these are the responsibility of the recipient.

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Returns accepted within 30 days. Email returns@axisophy.com with your order number and we'll provide return instructions.

Return postage is the customer's responsibility except where the print arrives damaged or there's been an error - in which case we'll arrange a replacement or refund immediately, no return needed.

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